Newcastle Jets head coach Gary van Egmond has praised the impact that marquee signing Emile Heskey has made at the Club.
Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets head coach Gary van Egmond has praised the impact that marquee signing Emile Heskey has made at the Club.
Heskey netted twice in the Jets- 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory at Hunter Stadium on Friday night, giving the former England international his fourth goal in as many games in Newcastle Jets colours.
As well as his goal scoring, van Egmond believes Heskey has an uncanny ability to make the players around him better.
“It-s fantastic, that-s four goals in four games and in that respect, it-s a great return,” van Egmond said.
“He leads the line, he-s a real number nine and he-s someone who really takes the opposition backline to task.
“We have a lot of really, really good lieutenants, but he-s the one we really need as the person who leads that line.
“The amount of confidence and time on the ball that other players are getting enables them to do better things with the ball and that is a lot to do with the fact of what Emile does.
“He might not have as many touches as some players, but his positioning and the way he attracts defenders is something the other players are really benefitting from.”
As well as his obvious on-field impact, Heskey has also proved to be a big hit off the field and has been a great ambassador for the A-League since his arrival in Newcastle.
Fox Sports made Heskey the subject of their ‘Hero Cam’ feature on Friday night, which allowed viewers to follow the movements of the ex-Liverpool striker during his entire stint on the park.
Following the match, Heskey spent more than half-an-hour signing autographs and posing photos for Jets Members and supporters who just can-t seem to get enough of the 34-year-old.
